“It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer.
You need less imagination to be a painter because you can invent things.
But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.”
(David Bailey – English fashion and portrait photographer, b.1938)

This picture was shot in a little village near Varanasi (Benaras) where a few workers of the Red Haloteam live.
When I come and visit the families I enjoy taking pictures of the ordinary countryside life which I find extraordinary as it reminds me a few images from old Indian movies I used to watch when I was a teenager.
Time has passed living fragments of nostalgia and the illusion that hours, months or years could stop over there…

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
(Jalal ud-Din Rumi known as Rumi – Persian poet and theologian, 1207-1273)
Early in the morning, I met these two young men who were washing their garments in the holy waters of the Ganges at Lal ghat in Varanasi.

“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”
(Michelangelo – Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer of the High Renaissance, 1475- 1564)

“I don’t sort of sit in a chair and pompously feel proud of myself about all the things we might have accomplished.”
(Vidal Sassoon – British hairdresser, businessman, and philanthropist, 1928–2012)

Nicaise is wrapped in a woolen scarf with an Aari embroidery…It was not easy to make a Louis XVI Chair in Varanasi and bring it to the upper terrace but it seems that nothing is impossible there…
(Scarf style “Jaisalmer – Col. Black/White – 200×70 – 100% Wool – Collection RED HALO)

The iconic French actress and model Nicaise Jean-Louis has kindly accepted to pose for Red Halo in order to support our social work.
During the 70’s Nicaise became one of the first top models with dark skin complexion to work for High Fashion companies, ever since she never stopped working for the most prestigious fashion names, she also performed on stage and played is several iconic movies such as “Moonraker” (a Bond girl) or the well known French movie “Le gendarme et les gendarmettes” (Yo Macumba).
For the anecdote Nicaise was born in the French Caribbean island Guadeloupe and she has Indian ancestors as her grandmother was from Pondicherry.
You may join Nicaise’s page at www.facebook.com/nicaise.lemoine

RED HALO is a collection of household linen based in Benaras (Varanasi – India) providing work to people living with difficulties and education to children.
“Like” the RED HALO page on Facebook and join this amazing human adventure in Varanasi,www.facebook.com/redhalo.in

“First there was the dream, now there is reality.
Here, in the untainted cradle of the heavens, will be created a new super race, a race of perfect physical specimens.
You have been selected as its progenitors; like Gods, your offspring will return to Earth and shape it in their image.
You have all served in public capacities in my terrestrial empire.
Your seed, like yourselves, will pay deference to the ultimate dynasty which I alone have created.
From their first day on Earth they will be able to look up and know that there is law and order in the heavens.”
(Hugo Drax / Michael Lonsdale in Moonraker ,1979)

This is a portrait of my friend Nicaise.
Nicaise Jean-Louis is a French actress and model, known for being a Bond girl in the movie “Moonraker” and for being Yo Macumba in the iconic French movie “Le gendarme et les gendarmettes”.
During the 70’s she became one of the first top models with dark skin complexion to work for High Fashion companies.
It was after Madame Carven met her in Guadeloupe, the French Caribbean island, and gave her a chance to come to Paris.
Since that time Nicaise never stopped working for the most prestigious fashion companies, she also played is several iconic movies and performed on stage.
Nicaise was the first model I worked with, it was at Carven during the 80’s, I was a young designer and beginner then.
Ever since I asked her to model for all collections I did in each companies I was, I even made her strut down the catwalk with her daughter for Burberry’s…
For the anecdote my Indian friends will be happy to know that Nicaise has Indian ancestors as her grandmother was from Pondicherry.

Last week-end the industry celebrated the 35th anniversary of “Moonraker” and Nicaise is going on a long world tour to meet her fans.
It was an opportunity to make this portrait and to ask her to pose for Red Halo.

“Black and white are the colors of photography.
To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected.
Most of my photographs are of people; they are seen simply, as through the eyes of the man in the street.
There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment.
This kind of photography is realism.
But realism is not enough–there has to be vision, and the two together can make a good photograph.
It is difficult to describe this thin line where matter ends and mind begins.
(Robert Frank – American photographer and filmaker, b.1924)

This sadhu was walking at Scindia ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras), it was after sunrise and he was holding a traditional tiffin-box containing a meal prepared by some generous soul…

“Be kind to all creatures; this is the true religion.” (Siddhārtha Gautama, known as the Buddha – c. 563 BCE/480 BCE – c. 483 BCE/400 BCE) This is a close-up of one of the statues of the Buddha inside the Tibetan temple in Sarnath which is located at 13 km away from Varanasi (Benaras). More […]

Originally posted on Red Halo: Since the first collection, Red Halo introduced a specific design reminding the Mughal’s royal court magnificence. It was designed by Manish Gupta and inspired by a Persian carpet style, in a way it was making a bridge between the carpet industry that he knew so well and this interior company…

Originally posted on Red Halo: Our show-room in Benares was thought with neutral colours and simple contemporary elements which allow to emphasize our products. We keep this concept for the booths we settle all over the world when we show our collections during exhibitions and fairs or for the Red Halo shops and corners in…

“The longing for Paradise is man’s longing not to be man.” (From “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera) This picture was shot at Manikarnika Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) where Hindus are cremated hoping to receive moksha, freedom from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth. Moksha allows one to […]

“I tell you once and for all— in front of the angel pictures on the wall, that I am not a host to load-bearing ghosts or headyentities, and if I was ever holy, I have fallen far into the dense atmosphere of the living.” (From ” Drum Machine” by Kristen Henderson) This is a street […]

“It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.” (David Bailey – English fashion and portrait photographer, b.1938) This picture […]

“To the Divine” is a picture shot during the Ganga Aarti celebrated for Dev Diwali at Prayag ghat along the holy waters of the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras). It was selected for the image cover of the October 2014 issue of “SHUBH YATRA”, the inflight magazine of Air India. Join the photographer at LAURENT […]

“Monsoon’s showers” is a picture shot in New Delhi during the first day of monsoon. Some devotee were waiting in line in the street in order to worship in a temple, they were enjoying the rain after the heat of summer. It was selected for “De l’eau et des hommes” a book by Jean-Claude Lefeuvre […]

“Out of Sundays Dancing” is a picture with four parrots dancing in the air at Munshi ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras). It was selected to make the cover of “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth which is released for the 20Th Anniversary Edition. _______________________ “A Suitable Boy”: 20Th Anniversary Edition by Vikram Seth […]